FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER
By Jose Manuel Pontillas
SUM OF ALL LEARNINGS AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Leadership don't just happen to us, it happens from us and our path, meaning all the occurrence in our lives, are all pointing out to this very important mission of ours, which is LEADERSHIP. This is the biggest revelation and discovery that unfolded to me in taking this subject. The dynamics of classroom activities and exercises conducted helped us discover the very core of ourselves as a leader. The next section of this paper highlights the important topics that created an impact on me and how I was able to integrate them in my role as a Leader.
Leadership and Self-awareness
In my seventeen years working in the company, I have attended different trainings focusing on developing technical skills related to my job and management skills needed in my role as a manager. Little did I realize that in order to be a good and authentic leader, our journey must first start with our self.
During our first session, one of the main discussion is on Self-awareness which was agreed as an essential element in our success as a leader. Truly, in any endeavor, we should always start with our self. As a leader, we are entrusted with a very big responsibility in leading not only the organization but people as well. Thus, in our position, we have the power to influence other people thru our actions and words. We are also faced with different challenges and conflicts which at times makes us doubt on ourselves. Therefore a high degree of self-awareness is important in facing these challenges. Actually, in a research conducted by Green Peak Partners in 2010, 72 executives of successful private and public institution in America were studied and they identified self-awareness as the strongest predictor of success in their responsibility as a Leader. A self-aware leader has realistic assessment of himself, his strengths, weaknesses and limitations and how their behavior affects others. The following activities also further reinforced our journey to self-awareness:
Reflection 1 on Defining Moments - This undertaking allowed me to identify the important events in my life that helped me developed skills and traits needed to become a leader. It turned out that series of crises are turning points leading on my path to leadership.
Leadership in Movies - Heroic Leadership by Campbell. This activity allowed us to look back on the significant events in our lives that lead us to our position as a Leader. We were also oriented with the Heroic Leadership concept outlined by Campbell and how it relates to us and the heroic character we have chosen in movies. I also learned that Heroes' story have almost similar patterns.
Reflection Paper 2 focuses on the Internal and External factors that shaped us as a leader. This shows how environmental factors and significant persons and events in our lives shaped us to be the kind of Leader we are today. It also allowed us to identify our strengths, weaknesses and limitations as leaders. We were also able to identify our values as a leader which is at the very core of our intention to serve. Having a good grasp of this important information about our self will help us on how to be more effective leaders. Likewise, it also help us identify and appreciate what we have now and realize that, yes indeed, we have the "makings" of a leader.
Reflection Paper 3 sets out our Passion as a leader and serves as a compass that gave us sense of direction as far as our Mission and Vision as leaders is concerned.
In tracing our Genogram as well, I was able to discover to whom I inherited some of the important qualities I possessed that made me an effective leader. True enough, growing up in a healthy environment contributed to our character and resiliency as a leader.
Almost all the other activities conducted in this subject are self revealing for me. Because this is the first class I attended a subject where the topic is yourself. I came to a realization that human interaction itself is an exercise on self-awareness. Because every part of your Personality is revealed as you interact with others and you discover your human capacities as well. Every activity is enriching and truly a learning experience.
Important Leadership Concepts that I Learned
Are Leaders Born or Made?
This debatable topic has been around for centuries. As with my personal assessment based on my Self-awareness Journey, we may be born with innate characteristics traits that are needed to be effective leader. But our environment also plays a crucial role in enhancing these characteristics. Our inborn characteristics, home, school and community environment and defining moments in our lives altogether shaped us to be the kind of person we are today. Therefore, it is an interplay among all these factors. But more than that is our spiritual calling to LEAD. How we respond to this call is our personal choice.
Ignatian Leadership
I have learned in this concept that leadership is not a position or simply an act you have to do when you are ask too. Rather, it is an inside job, an innate characteristic that is within you. Because as leaders, we have to start leading our self first and it is a daily personal pursuit. Leadership is an on-going process of personal development that is why we, as leaders, should never stop learning.
Authentic Leadership
This approach emphasize the people as the most important element in the organization. Leadership is about people. An authentic leader value relationships with the people he lead as they lead not only from the head but from the heart as well. They walk their talk and they are visionaries who has a passion for purpose. They are result oriented and focus on achieving their goals.
Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership emphasize the concept of being a servant to the people you lead. This concept of leadership is "other" centered. The servant leader focus on the needs of his people and recognize the perspective of others. A sense of community is important to a servant leader. It somewhat complements democratic and transformational style of leadership.
Among the leadership concepts discussed, I can most relate my style to the authentic and servant leadership model. I value my people, their feelings, opinion and perspective as well. I involve them in decision making and keep track of their progress and growth not only professionally but on a personal level as well.
Leadership and Character (EQ)
We cannot discount the importance of having a high IQ in a leader. Because as a leader you are making important decisions for the organization and people you are working with. So leaders must be smart and critical thinkers. But more than having a high IQ , a leader should and must possess high EQ as well. Studies shows that people with high EQ usually make great leaders and team players because of their ability to empathize and connect with people around them. I believe that leaders must possess both, while not necessarily being a genius in terms of IQ, at least more than average is required to be a leader as you do not only deal with people but with task and critical decisions as well.
Leadership vs Management
I would like to focus more on the concept and function itself. In my personal opinion, these two functions need not to be contradicting with one another, they are both needed by a leader to be effective. There are times that you need to be more of a leader than a manager, and there are times that you need to be of a manager than a leader. It depends on the task, time element, degree of familiarity among members and quality of relationship. A good leader knows what style or approach to use whenever and wherever it is appropriate.
Synthesis and Personal Integration of all Concepts
In taking up different subject in my graduate school program, I thought Leadership class would give me respite from the grind of quantitative analysis but it turned out to be one of the most challenging subject I have taken so far. Challenging in such a way that you always have to comply with deadlines in submitting reflection papers; you have to be at least an hour earlier in order to meet with your group to accomplish important task and also you have to take extra time during your off to finish a project. But in the end, I must say, it's all worth it.
To sum up my learning, leadership is a journey of discovery: of self, others, the leadership process, its potential, challenges and dynamics. We begin first with ourselves simply because we cannot give what we don't have. How can we simply lead others if we cannot lead our self. We have to know our strengths and limitations so we would be ready for the challenges it may bring. We should have a clear grasp of our identity as a leader and our personal convictions, motivation and passion as a leader. Because it is very important that our personal values are aligned with our mission and vision as leaders. After knowing our self, we should also give time to know other people especially those people we lead. Because the success in accomplishing our task relies on how well we can work with our Teams. Finally, we must make a conscious effort to educate ourselves formally or informally on the different concepts and dynamics that play in leadership so that we can make informed and educated decisions for our organization and for the people we serve and to be effective and efficient in our functions.
The different activities and group dynamics also brought out our creative juices, critical thinking, ingenuity and ability to work in teams as leaders. And it also brought out the child in us when we laugh and just enjoyed the moment and forget about our responsibilities. Through this subject also, we come to know each other on a deeper level. Our relationship with each other upgraded from a professional to a personal level because we know the story behind each faces. And we realize that most of us share the same sentiments in life, that there is a sense of universality in our experiences and purpose. That each leader has his own story to tell.
All of these task were accomplished in our subject Leadership. It provided us not only knowledge but important tools and skills we can always draw upon from our toolbox as the situation calls for it. I must say that this subject has a Holistic approach. It focuses not only on the task, skills and qualities of a leader but on the identity and personality of the leader as well. His very core and character. Holistic in a sense that it tried to touch on every aspect of the leader's personality.
More than ever, now I have a clear grasp of my past, my present and my future - my history, my purpose, my mission and my vision as a LEADER.
....And the challenge now is how shall we keep the fire burning?
Jose Manuel Pontillas 3
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